Encephalopathy in children

Encephalopathy is a condition that affects the brain. It can affect memory, thinking, and personality. It can also affect the nerves and muscles in the body. These problems may last a short time or cause problems over the long term.

The type of symptoms and how bad they are vary. They may happen slowly and cause a gradual loss of function. Or they may happen suddenly and cause life-threatening problems.

In a newborn, the condition may cause your baby to:

• Have problems breathing or feeding.
• Not react or be slow to react to touch.
• Breathe in fluids, vomit, or mucus into the lungs.
• Stop breathing.

In a young child or teen, the condition may:

• Make it hard for your child to think clearly, focus, and remember things.
• Affect how alert your child is. Your child may be drowsy. Or your child may seem to be awake and aware but doesn't respond when spoken to.
• Affect your child's personality or mood. Your child may be cranky, grouchy, or depressed.

Other symptoms may include:

• Seizures, jerky body movements, or tremors.
• Feeling sluggish.
• Poor muscle tone or overactive muscles.
• Sleep problems.
• Passing out (fainting).

To help diagnose the condition, the doctor will ask about:

• Your child's symptoms and past health.
• The mother's health history.
• The mother's and child's exposure to toxins and drugs.
• Whether there's a family history of metabolic disorders.

He or she will also do a physical exam and watch how your child interacts and behaves.

The doctor may order tests. They may include:

Blood and urine tests.

These may be done to check for chemical and fluid imbalances or toxins in the blood. They also look for problems with metabolism and infection. And they may be done to see how well the kidneys and liver are working.

Lumbar puncture.

This may be done to measure the pressure of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord and to get a sample of it.

MRI or CT scans.

These show a picture of the brain.

Electroencephalogram (EEG).

This shows the electrical activity of the brain.

The doctor will treat what's causing the problem. For example:

• If your baby didn't get enough oxygen or blood to the brain during birth, the doctor may use special techniques to cool your child's brain or core body temperature. This can help prevent more damage to the brain.
• If your child's kidneys or liver aren't working the way they should, the doctor may prescribe medicines or other treatments that help the organ work better. Treatment can also prevent the buildup of toxins in the blood.
• If your child has an infection, antibiotics may be needed.

If the doctor can't treat the cause of the problem, the doctor will treat the symptoms. For example, the doctor may prescribe medicine to control seizures.

If symptoms are severe, your child may need to be treated in the hospital.

Work with your doctor on ways to care for your child at home. Give your child any medicines as prescribed. Take your child to all follow-up visits with doctors or physical therapists. Consider joining a support group or connecting with other parents who have children with similar conditions.